Centre’s allocation of Covid vaccines is ‘somewhat disappointing’: Madras HC

Centre’s allocation of Covid vaccines is ‘somewhat disappointing’: Madras HC

During the hearing, a section of advocates told the court that the vaccination drive should be extended to other professions, classifying them as frontline workers.

Published: 25th May 2021 04:31 AM 

People waiting for their turn to get vaccinated at a special camp at Triplicane, in Chennai on Monday | R Satish Babu

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Central government on Monday informed the Madras High Court that about 216 crore vaccines will be available by the end of the year for every Indian to get inoculated. However, the court observed in its order that the planned allocation of Covid vaccines by the Central government to the State appears “somewhat disappointing”.

“Though the Centre maintains that the allocation is based on the population of a State, positivity rate prevailing in such State and other objective factors, the allocation to Tamil Nadu, as indicated in the Centre’s affidavit, may require to be revisited,” observed the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy.

Additional Solicitor General R Shankaranarayanan submitted that as per the Centre’s plan, 216 crore doses of the vaccine should be available by the end of the year for every Indian to be fully vaccinated. The bench recorded the submission and said, “There have been cases of mucormycosis in the State and the required drugs are in short supply. The Centre has indicated that measures have been put in place to manufacture the drugs immediately and in bulk upon reducing the quantum of production of other medicines for the moment.”

However, there is hope that vaccines would be available in greater numbers upon the various manufacturing units augmenting their production facilities, the court added. The court was also assured that the possible disruption due to Cyclone Yaas has been taken into consideration by the Centre considering the oxygen supply. During the hearing, a section of advocates told the court that the vaccination drive should be extended to other professions, classifying them as frontline workers.

The court then said, “Suggestions have been made that personnel involved in delivering food, the remaining police personnel, healthcare workers, and even advocates and judges who come in contact with litigants, should be earmarked for prioritised vaccination. It will be open to the State to take a considered decision in such regard.”